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For a few weeks I'll enforce the productivity rule that all items in the email inbox should be unread, i.e, no "email grazing". I basically check too often, and not process. What kicked this off is installing the Mac Gmail widget for monitoring, which only shows *unread* messages. I found myself going back to Gmail and marking all as unread so it would show them. That's when this hit me - I can use the widget as a motivator/check. Already it has changed the decision to read a message - it's a bit heavier and more serious, which is good! |
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Test: Does it help me stop grazing. I will note (mentally, to keep the experiment light) when I click a message but don't move it out of the inbox. Success would be a reset of my email habit back to the ideal. I'm lazy so I don't want to make the experiment more rigorous than that. |
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I'll give it two weeks from 2009-08-12. |
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Watch myself with fond curiosity: "Interesting - he clicked then caught himself." Enjoy writing up the results for a blog post, and hopefully helping my readers. Adding it to my giant repository of productivity experiments to try. |
Create an Experiment
Matthew Cornell
- Member Since
- 07/02/09
- About Lover of experimentation and leader of Think, Try, Learn, the scientific method for discovering happiness. Creator of Edison, the Think, Try, Learn experimenter's workbook. http://edison.thinktrylearn.com/ http://www.thinktrylearn.com/ http://www.matthewcornell.org/
- Web http://www.matthewcornell.org/
- Experiments 98
- Observations 1262
Comments & Observations
Matthew Cornell OK, already I've learned I have to watch the temptation to look at one message then click Mark as Unread. Viewing happens a little by accident in Gmail when I archive and it goes to the next one.
Aug 12, 2009
Matthew Cornell Another guideline: If I do click on a message, require that I handle it. I.e., Mark as New isn't an option. How can I make this fun...? Track it, with reward?
Aug 12, 2009
Matthew Cornell Actually, this is a prime example of why lightweight quantitative observations are crucial. I want a virtual "clicker" for this particular experiment on the web page. That way I simply tick it when I am tempted to (or do) Mark as Unread.
Aug 12, 2009
Matthew Cornell The watchword is, "Restraint."
Aug 12, 2009
Brock Tice Can you batch more and eliminate this entirely?
Aug 12, 2009
Matthew Cornell Batching is the ideal, and I find myself "monitoring," for good and bad reasons. The monitoring became "getting sucked in", and the attendant waste that comes from rethinking each item. More soon!
Aug 13, 2009
Matthew Cornell This practice continues to be helpful. It cleans up "monitoring", making me think twice re: jumping in.
Aug 14, 2009
Matthew Cornell Experiment is over - I have officially adopted this as part of my daily (hourly!) workflow. A big thumbs up.
Sep 18, 2009